Vehicle driver wheelchair lift

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle driver wheelchair lift, the lift having a bearing mount fixed to the vehicle that rotationally captures a pivot rod to which a pair of forks are attached by a parallelogram linkage. The rod rotates in the bearing to move the forks horizontally in and out of the vehicle, while the parallelogram linkage expands and contracts to raise and lower the forks. The purpose of the parallel linkage is to allow the forks to move vertically while maintaining a horizontal position. The forks are adapted to engage a pair of horizontal fork receivers fixed to a wheelchair. A vertical linear actuator expands and contracts the linkage to raise and lower the forks vertically. A motor turns the pivot rod to rotate the forks horizontally. In one exemplary embodiment, a lock on the forks secures the receivers and chair on the forks and a sensor signals when the receivers are in locked position suitable for raising and lowering. In one exemplary embodiment, the parallel linkage has outwardly offset lower joints to establish a preset raised position at maximum extension.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application 11 / 849,283, filed on Sep. 1, 2007 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60 / 841,637, filed on Sep. 1, 2006.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH[0002]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention relates to the field of self-loading or unloading vehicles and more specifically to loading and unloading wheelchairs from vehicles such as classified in class 414, subclass 540.[0004]Persons confined to wheelchairs have limited options pertaining to driving vehicles. Typically, vehicles that are available to disabled persons are necessarily large vehicles, such as vans, which provide internal room sufficient to contain prior art wheelchair lift or ramp devices. Ramp-type devices require the most room inside a vehicle, since a pathway from the ramp—typically on the side of the vehicle—to the driver's seat area of the vehicle must be kept clear...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]In a first exemplary embodiment, a bearing is fixed to the vehicle and a pivot arm has a first end rotationally captured within the bearing and free to rotate therein. The pivot arm also has an outer end configured with a fork and a parallelogram linkage to allow vertical movement of the fork while maintaining the fork in a horizontal orientation. The fork on a wheelchair first exemplary embodiment also has a first linear actuator to horizontally rotate the pivot arm to move the wheelchair horizontally in and out of the vehicle, and a second linear actuator to raise and lower the fork to lift the wheelchair into an elevated position high enough that it can be rotated horizontally into the vehicle. The first exemplary embodiment also contains a sensor on the fork since when the wheelchair is in a fully engaged position on the fork and to prevent lifting, rotating and lowering except when the wheelchair is such fully engaged position. The parallelogram lifting mechanism includes a front and rear mounting plate connected to each other by parallel arms. The front mounting plate is connected to the fork and maintains the fork in a horizontal position during vertical lifting, while the rear mounting plate is connected to the pivot arm to maintain that position during rotation. This results in a very secure, compact, and reliable system.

[0010]The first exemplary embodiment allows the wheelchair to be easily engaged to the lift device with minimal modification thereto. The first exemplary embodiment will not operate unless the wheelchair is in a proper position on the lifting mechanism. The present invention uses little room within the vehicle and can be used with relatively small vehicles. Further, the present device serves to keep the wheelchair locked into place laterally and vertically within the vehicle when the device is in an inside-vehicle position. In short, the first exemplary embodiment is a better wheelchair lifting device that reduces at least some of the problems described in the background portion of this application. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

Problems solved by technology

Persons confined to wheelchairs have limited options pertaining to driving vehicles.

Aside from the obvious drawback of having to transfer between chairs, which is time consuming, the driver must also be able to readily store his wheelchair somewhere in the vehicle and must do this after having transferred into the dedicated chair.

Normally this means a passenger is required to handle the wheelchair, and that obviously limits the freedom of the driver to drive when and where he wants.

But such wheelchairs are cumbersome for normal use since they have extra wheel retracting mechanisms and are not as easy to use outside of the vehicle as conventional wheelchairs.

Engaging the wheelchair with the device can be difficult.

Further, such a device provides no means for moving the wheelchair towards the steering wheel of the vehicle when inside the vehicle.

Yet disengaging from the lift arm reduces the safety of the device in use, since the wheelchair is then no longer kept in place by the lifting mechanism.

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